The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, finding that it began during active service.
The deciding factor: The May 2023 VA examiner provided a credible, competent nexus opinion, while the negative November 2023 VA opinion was based on the lack of in-service treatment and failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements about experiencing back pain in service but not seeking treatment due to self-medication.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25033349
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for spinal stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and spinal stenosis based on the Veteran's in-service back injury and chronicity of symptoms.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on either incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for a right hip disability, to include as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability, and denied an effective date prior to June 8, 2022, for the award of service connection for spinal stenosis, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.
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